(on how long he’s been growing his beard) “I’ve been growing it since June. I had a feeling we would get to Dallas, and I wanted to look like this when we got here.”

(on if he plans to shave after the Super Bowl) “I’m going to take it off at some point. I’m going to try and raise some money for charity with it or something like that. But it might come back. I’m going to miss it. I’ve become quite fond of it. I enjoy taking care of it and brushing it. I’m going to miss it. It’s become a part of me.”

(on the attention his beard has received) “It’s been a lot fun watching people put the beards on. I’ve got some friends coming to the game and they ordered a bunch of caveman beards to wear to the game. It’s taken on a whole new life, and I’m proud of that.”

(on if the ‘America’s Team’ moniker should be placed on the Steelers rather than the Cowboys) “Well we have more Super Bowls than anyone, and if you’re going off championships, maybe we are America’s Team. We consider ourselves America’s Team. We love Steeler Nation. That’s a big part of what we are and who we are. They support us win or not win. We love our fans. They always travel in numbers and they always support us.”

(on Steeler players understanding the history of the organization) “It’s huge. We want to bring home (championship) number seven. That’s been our goal all year long is to get to this point. We have a great opportunity. It’s right in front of us. We’ve got to reach out and grab it.”

(on playing ‘The Steeler Way’) “We play the game hard, fast, physical and for 60 minutes. That’s been our M.O. since I’ve been a Steeler and I think it’s just the tradition that you have when you put on that uniform. We’re going to come out there and play hard all game long and you better buckle up. It’s become a part of all of us. We love being from Pittsburgh and the history Pittsburgh has, just being a Pittsburgher. All the steel back in World Wars came through Pittsburgh. Hardworking, blue collar, nose to the grindstone, get-after-it type of people, and we try as a team to embody that and go out and perform like that on the field.”

(on watching Texans who aren’t used to dealing with snow and ice) “It’s pretty funny. The road crews down here don’t know how to deal with it because they’re not used to it. Back in Pittsburgh, they would have had salt down and that snow and ice would have been melted before the morning hit. It’s been an adjustment for everyone. I feel bad for the police officers constantly having to break up these car wrecks and write police reports.”

(on what makes Aaron Rodgers so good) “He makes things happen. He’s a lot like our quarterback where it looks like he’s going to get taken down and all of the sudden he’s out running for 40 yards. He’s got great speed. He can throw the ball 100 yards it looks like because he can throw it 50 and it’s six feet off the ground. It’s like a bullet. It’s going to be tough. I’ve said all along that’s going to be the key to the game, win or lose. If we can get to him, that will give ourselves a chance to win. If we can’t, it’s going to be a long night.”

(on James Farrior’s pregame speeches) “Well, ‘Potsie’ has done a great job. It’s not easy giving a pregame speech because you’re trying to get yourself ready to go. Also, you have the responsibility of getting the team ready to go, too. Only special players can calm themselves down, say the right things that the team needs to hear and go out and get the job done. Joey (Porter) was, ‘Hoorah!’ Potsie is more like, ‘This is what we need to do, this is how we’re going to do it, let’s go do it.’”

(on Farrior’s passion in the speeches) “James is legendary for Steelers. Think about all the great linebackers that have come through Pittsburgh, and he has the most tackles out of everybody. That says a lot about him, just that statement alone. We’re happy to have him. He does a great job for us. He’s a huge reason why we’re playing in our third Super Bowl.”

(on his respect for Farrior) “James is our unanimous captain. If you went around and asked everyone around here, ‘Who is the captain of your team,’ they would all say James Farrior, I’m sure. He’s a been there, done that guy, one of those guys when he’s out on the battlefield doesn’t get caught up in all the distractions. He’s able to focus, get in the huddle, get the call from the sideline and relay it to all of us. Then make the calls to run the defense, and then do your job. He’s got to do his job on top of all that, so a lot is on his shoulders. He’s got to get us fired up before the game with his pregame speech, which he’s done a decent job on that.”

(on players joking that Farrior’s speeches aren’t always great) “He has good speeches and bad speeches, but the bottom line is he’s our leader, and he’s lead us to this point.”

(on if there’s a theme to Farrior’s speeches) “Go out and play for 60 minutes. It does (get redundant). You can kind of expect that. You play 20-something games if you include preseason and then three games or so after that, so it’s hard to come up with new material all the time.”

(on Mike Tomlin) “He’s pretty phenomenal. He has a great understanding of the game. He talks to us a lot. He asks the veterans what we need. He understands the makeup of this team, and I think that’s what great coaches do. When it’s time to push us, he pushes us. When it’s time to pull the reins back, he pulls the reins back in. That’s the makeup of a great coach is understanding your players, understanding what their strengths and weaknesses are and correcting them accordingly. He doesn’t step on toes. He lets Coach (Dick) LeBeau do his thing, and what a great job. Have Coach LeBeau and Bruce Arians and you can just say if you’re going to go on fourth down or not punt. It’s a great job.”

(on the differences between Pittsburgh and Green Bay’s 3-4 defense) “The similarity is that they’ve taken the 3-4 and ran with it. I think they’ve done a great job. They’ve got my man Kevin Greene coaching their linebackers up there. Who better to do that than him? Phenomenal player. He came and coached us a little bit before he went up there, so I know what that guy brings to the table. They’ve got a lot of great players up there. (Charles) Woodson was the defensive MVP last year. He’s one of the best ever. It’s going to be key in this game which defense can hold on the longest.”